Christmas Lists for Dummies
by fantasylover12001
Summary: Naruto has always prided himself on being the best gift giver. But when it comes to choosing a gift for his best friend, Sasuke, he hits a serious speed bump. YAOI, SasuNaru, KakaIru. Mentions of SakuLee, ShikaIno, and KibaHina.
1. Prologue: Step 1

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: A GUIDE TO GIVING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: PG-13 for Naruto's potty-mouth

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto and it's wonderful characters and storyline. I'm just a lowly fangirl whose brain has been eaten by this awesome manga and I'm finally giving in to my obsession. I'm in no way making any money off of this.

PAIRINGS: SasuNaru, mentions of KakaIru, SakuLee, KibaHina, ShikaIno. Yes, there is yaoi in this, flamers please go away and keep your opinions to yourself.

SUMMARY: Naruto prides himself on being the best gift giver at Christmas. But when it comes to giving his best friend (and secret crush) Sasuke a gift, he hits a serious speed bump. Will he find the perfect gift in time? Or will he realize that the best gifts don't necessarily have to be wrapped?

AUTHORS NOTE: Okay, this is my first try at a Naruto fic so please be gentle if I get some things wrong (unless it's a big mistake then criticize away). It's obviously a Christmas fic so expect some fluff and a happy ending. I will be updating this once a week up until Christmas day/week when it'll be finished. Enjoy.

STEP ONE: MAKE A LIST OF PEOPLE YOU WANT TO GET GIFTS FOR

Naruto Uzumaki loved Christmas.

It was without a doubt his favorite holiday. He loved it even more then Halloween where he could eat loads of candy and play tons of pranks. There were several reasons he enjoyed this holiday.

The first reason was that the villagers tended to be in a more forgiving mood around this time of year. Thanks to the Christmas spirit, he was scowled at a little less then usual. In his book, any day that caused that was great.

The other reasons he loved Christmas all ranged from how pretty the village looked when it was decorated with lights to being able to make Christmas cookies with Iruka on Christmas Eve. Like everyone, he also enjoyed getting gifts, even if it was usually just Iruka or Sakura giving him one.

While he enjoyed getting gifts, it was giving gifts that was his favorite thing to do. Knowing that there was someone who actually appreciated something that HE had given made him feel happy. So he made it a point to give presents to anyone he considered a friend, even if they didn't have a present for him. Being a ninja, he wasn't always present in Konoha to give his friends gifts but this year Tsunade had decided to make sure every ninja was home for Christmas week if possible. So he would finally be able to show off his gift giving skills.

Yes, he was a great gift giver. He made sure that each and every present he gave was suited to the person he was giving it too and prided himself in the fact that the gifts were usually thoughtful and useful at times. Sakura had loved the cherry blossom pendent he had given her for her eighteenth birthday and wore it very often. Iruka still used the dolphin coffee cup he had given him when he was younger.

Since every one of his friends was going to be here this year he was going to have quite a lot of gifts to get. The blonde grinned; he was definitely up to the challenge. He sat at the table in his apartment and started to make a list of who he needed to buy a present for. When he was done, he looked over the list critically making sure he didn't miss anyone.

"All right, I need a gift for Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Neji, Hinata, Lee, Kiba, Gaara, Temari, Tsunade-baba, Konahamaru, and Jiraiya-sensei," he muttered to himself. Then he grinned. "Piece of cake!"

'_This is going to be the best Christmas!' _he thought with glee.

AUTHORS NOTE: Before anyone asks, no, this isn't an AU, and Sasuke being there despite him going nuts in the manga will be explained next chapter. Please review.


	2. Chapter 1: Step 2

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: A GUIDE TO GIVING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: T/PG-13

DISCLAIMER: Sadly I do not own Naruto, I'm just a lowly fangirl who has too many plot bunnies running around in her head. I am also not making any money off of this, if you don't believe me, look at my bank account.

PAIRINGS: SasuNaru, mentioned KakaIru, LeeSaku, KibaHina, ShikaIno. There also might be some NejiGaara, I haven't decided yet.

WARNING: There is yaoi. If you do not like yaoi for whatever reason please keep it to yourself and do not flame me for it, I don't tolerate flames about that because ultimately it will not accomplish anything except making me mad. You don't want to see me mad.

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you everyone who gave encouragement for the first part! I know that was short but technically that was the prologue, I probably should have titled it prologue...Here is the actual first chapter which is a lot longer.

CHAPTER 1: STEP TWO-GATHERING IDEAS FOR PRESENTS

_Tip: it is a good idea to start with the no-brainers first. These are usually people you know so well that you automatically know what to get them, or the people who have been kind enough to supply a list. Starting with these will give you more time to think up gifts for the people who are harder to buy for._

Naruto decided to start with his closest friends first when he started to figure out presents. Kakashi-sensei was the easiest. He knew that Jiraiya-san was finished with the next volume of _Icha Icha Paradise _and was able to talk the man into giving him an advanced copy to give his sensei. Iruka-sensei would most likely be annoyed that he was indulging the man's perverted tendencies but really, it was perfect for him.

He was still debating on what to get Iruka-sensei as he walked to his favorite ramen stand. But luckily he knew what to get for Sakura already. He had decided to buy her a nice journal to write in so she could get out all her feelings if she wished. He also secretly hoped that this would help cool down her "Inner Sakura" which she had been letting out more and more lately. Maybe his head wouldn't get smacked so much if she had other ways to vent.

The blonde paused as he sat down and looked at Sasuke's name on the list.

'_He's going to be one of the difficult ones' _Naruto thought with a slight frown.

But then, he reflected, Sasuke had always been difficult to figure out. Nothing about the man was predictable or easy. Naruto and Sakura had almost given up on the Uchiha but then he showed up about a year after Naruto returned to Konoha and traded secrets about Sound with Tsunade-baba in return for being let back into the village. Whatever the two had talked about in the Hokage's office when he returned still remained between the two of them.

No one was sure what to make of his sudden change of heart until Orochimaru had shown up in Konoha and it became clear he was working with Itachi. There was a huge battle that cost several lives but in the end Sasuke and Naruto teamed up and were able to kill both men. Sasuke was finally able to avenge his clan and Naruto finally got his best friend back.

Though it didn't feel like that sometimes. The battle seemed to prove to everyone that Sasuke was once again loyal to Konoha, and he was slowly let back in. He passed the Chuunin exam a few months after Naruto and Sakura did and was allowed on missions as long as there was someone with him. Then a year later he became a Jounin and then just a month ago, he joined the ANBU having finally earned back everyone's trust.

Sasuke was still as stoic as ever but he seemed to have loosened up some. He wasn't as cold as he used to be when he was younger. The man could hardly be called humorous but at least now he socialized a bit. It was as if killing Itachi lifted a great weight off his shoulders.

But to Naruto, it seemed like Sasuke was still cold to him. Maybe it was his imagination, but he just thought that it seemed like ever since he returned to Konoha, Sasuke was avoiding him. He talked to Naruto, sure. But it was usually the blonde who had to initiate contact or when the others were around. He wasn't that way with the others.

Sasuke actually talked to Sakura once in awhile now. The two got along a lot better now that the pink-haired girl was over her crush on him and seriously dating Lee. True the conversations they had were usually when he ended up in the hospital due to injuries and she was assigned to treat them or something but still...he actually talked to her.

Naruto knew for a fact that he regularly spared with Neji and Lee as well as Kakashi occasionally. But then, Neji and Kakashi were on ANBU with him and Lee tended to spar with everybody. So maybe Naruto was blowing this out of proportion. Or maybe he wasn't and Sasuke couldn't stand to be around him now that he knew about the demon fox.

'_So why am I bothering to get him a present at all if he's not willing to even talk to me?' _the blonde wondered. But he was able to answer his own question rather quickly. _'Because you like him more then even Sakura did when she had a crush on him.'_

"Idiot," he muttered to himself.

He wasn't sure when exactly his feelings for Sasuke started to run deeper then friendship. That was probably because for the longest time he was in denial. He knew when he realized it though. It was when he saw the man for the first time after four years. It had been like a hole that had been in his chest was finally filled. The minute he had seen Sasuke standing there, slightly wounded but alive, he felt the crazy urge to run into the man's arms in relief. Then those dark eyes settled on him and his stomach started to feel funny.

He had tried to pass it off as just plain relief that Sasuke was back and had finally been able to come to his senses and break Orochimaru's curse seal. But soon every time he was near the other, his heart started pounding and every time their eyes met Naruto kept feeling the crazy urge to blush.

Out of desperation he had finally gone to Sakura, who had become his confidante in the past few years, and she bluntly told him that he was most likely in love. For some reason she seemed to find it amusing that it was Sasuke he had fallen for. He found it embarrassing as hell and tried to ignore it as best he could. He had just gotten his friend back (well, sort of) and he wasn't going to ruin it with this which was why he refused to tell Sasuke about it and tried to act as normally as possible around him.

'_So what do you get a stoic bastard, who is currently avoiding you, and who you have fallen in love with?'_ Naruto wondered idly to himself. "This is going to take some thought," Naruto muttered.

"Don't hurt yourself, Uzumaki," a teasing voice came from behind him, causing him to jump.

"Ack! KIBA! You jerk! You did that on purpose!" the blonde yelled at his friend who stood grinning down at him.

"Hey, you're a Jounin, aren't you? I'm not supposed to be able to sneak up on you in the first place," Kiba shook his head and sat down next to him at the table. "How the heck have you managed to stay alive all this time?"

"Skill," Naruto said, sticking out his tongue.

Kiba snorted. "More like dumb luck, I'll bet."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Is there a reason you stopped to see me or do you just like to annoy me?"

"Yeah, Hinata asked me to find and tell you that you're invited to join us for dinner at her place tonight. She wants to have a whole bunch of people over for dinner for some reason."

"Oh yeah, who else is coming?" Naruto asked. He wasn't really surprised. Hinata often tried to get everyone together about once a month. Since she and Kiba had moved into their own place after seriously dating for a year they had been hosting these little get togethers.

"Oh the usual crowd. Shikamaru can't make it, he's on a mission, but everyone else is probably going to be there, I even managed to get Sasuke to come. He didn't want to at first but Sakura and Lee were there when I asked and Sakura-chan guilted him into coming."

Naruto snorted. "Damn. Wish I'd been there to see that."

Kiba chuckled. "It was pretty funny. Girl is good at the guilt thing, isn't she?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."

"So I'm assuming you'll be there?"

"Sure." As Kiba started to get up Naruto asked, "Hey, Kiba, you have any idea what Hinata-chan wants for Christmas?"

The other man blinked. "Christmas? Naruto, it's only the first week of November!"

He shrugged. "I start early."

"Oh. Well, I have no idea. I'm saving up to get her this fancy butterfly necklace though, so don't get her anything like that."

Naruto tilted his head. "Butterfly necklace?"

Kiba shrugged. "She kind of has this thing about butterflies and I saw this one in a jewelry store and..." he trailed off as Naruto smirked at him. "Oh, shut up."

"What? I didn't say anything. Even if the idea of you in a jewelry store cracks me up."

Kiba scowled. "I'm going now. Later, Uzumaki. Don't be late or I'm going to let Chouji eat all your food."

Naruto waved his hand. "Yeah, whatever." He'd heard that threat a million times and even when he was late Hinata always made sure to save him food. The girl might of gotten over her crush on him but she still favored him a lot and he knew it tended to drive Kiba nuts.

_Tip: Don't be afraid to just bluntly ask someone what they want for Christmas. Sure, it'll mean they know you have no clue what to get them, but they'll know you're at least trying to think up decent gifts and in the end you won't end up getting something totally lame._

Naruto wandered into his apartment later that night, tired but happy and full. Hinata, in his completely biased opinion, was a great cook. The dinner had been a lot of fun. He had been able to catch up with Ino, who he hadn't talked too in awhile and had been able to figure out gifts for five more people.

For Kiba and Hinata he was going to give them a joint present. He had noticed that the apartment they had moved into was a little bare in wall space so he decided to get a wall scroll for them to hang up. He knew a artist not far from the village whose life he had saved a while ago on a mission. The man said, if he ever wanted, he'd get a painting for free. He would make sure to pop over to the man's hut after his mission on Monday and take him up on the offer.

He decided that for Chouji he was going to give him a tin full of Christmas cookies. He and Iruka had made it a tradition to bake some a week before Christmas so he would just take a batch and put it in a tin. He had asked Chouji what he wanted and he'd shrugged and said, "Just get me some food and I'll be happy."

While talking to Ino, she'd let slip that Shikamaru was currently interested in philosophy and so he decided he was going to get the lazy Jounin a book on the subject. Another idea that came to him while talking to Ino was her present. He noticed for the first time that her ears were pierced. He didn't tend to pay attention to that sort of thing so this came as a surprise, though apparently the ears had been pierced for quite awhile. Ino had rolled her eyes at him when he asked her when she got that done. Naruto felt a bit bad that he hadn't noticed and so decided to get her earrings for Christmas.

'_It was a fun evening. Too bad Sasuke didn't show up_' Naruto thought with a slight frown. He'd been a bit disappointed about that as he'd been hoping to talk to Sasuke and hope that inspiration for a gift would come to him while talking to the other. He would have thought that Sasuke was once again avoiding him but it turned out that a mission had come up that afternoon which was why Neji hadn't been there either.

"Oh well, I have plenty of time left," Naruto said out loud and started to get ready for bed.

_Tip: Time is an illusion. Procrastination is never good with Christmas presents. Procrastination leads to the people who mob the stores on Christmas Eve._

AUTHORS NOTE: For anyone who is confused the tips aren't really a part of the fic, they're more like time or scene breaks. They'll be going throughout the fic. I thought they'd be a fun touch and sort of explain the title of the fic. I know Sasuke has been MIA, he'll show up in the next chapter, promise. PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 2: Step 3

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: PG-13/T

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. I'm just borrowing them for awhile for fangirl (and boy) torture..cough...enjoyment.

PAIRINGS: SasuNaru, mentioned KakaIru, LeeSaku, KibaHina, ShikaIno, and NejiGaar is looking like a definite possibility now. Also barely there Jiraiya/Tsunade.

AUTHOR NOTES: Thank you, thank you for the continued encouragement! As promised Sasuke arrives in this chapter.

CHAPTER 2: STEP THREE: FINE-TUNING YOUR GIFT IDEAS

_Tip: Your first idea for a Christmas present isn't always necessarily the best. Occasionally it's a good idea to go over your list before you buy your gifts to double check and make sure that the gift is a good idea._

By the first week of December Naruto was proud to say he had figured out a gift for everyone. Well...almost everyone. There was a conspicuous blank next to Sasuke's name. He'd also changed his mind on what to get Iruka about four times but the for the most part he was done deciding what to get everyone.

Then to his delight, on December third, it snowed. That was one of the other things he loved about Christmas, it usually snowed around this time of year. While he didn't care for the cold, snow was fun to play in. He also had fond memories of throwing snowballs at unsuspecting people when he was a kid. He snickered when he remembered throwing some snow balls at the Third Hokage once.

It hadn't snowed much. Only about two inches or so but it was enough to have enjoy a relatively decent snowball fight with Konahamaru and his friends. He was now headed home and in a happy mood despite the fact that he would most likely be freezing that night during patrol. Naruto was near the entrance to the village and about to turn onto his street when he saw a sight that startled him and then made him grin like mad.

Sasuke was back from his mission.

The ninja hadn't seen him yet to Naruto's delight. He was busy pulling off his ANBU mask and shaking out his hair. The blonde grinned evilly. This was going to be fun...

It was good to be home, Sasuke thought absent mindedly. The mission he and Neji had been assigned had been longer then either were expecting it to be. This was the first time he'd been back in Konoha in almost a month. He sort of wished the snow wasn't there but he could deal with that.

Just as he bent over to put his ANBU mask away snow came out of no where and hit him in the face. "Hey-," he started to say, but before he could threaten whoever had the nerve to hit him with a snowball a bright orange blur tackled him from the side. Instincts took over and he flipped whoever it was over and pinned the person on their back. He found himself glaring down into mischievous cerulean blue eyes.

"Sasuke! Welcome back!" Naruto exclaimed, with a beaming grin.

'_Of course'_, he thought in half exasperation and half affection, '_Who else would have the nerve to throw snowballs at me?'_

"I think you can let him up, Uchiha," a calm and slightly amused came from behind him.

He glared at Neji Hyuuga who stood slightly behind them. The other ninja had obviously seen the whole thing.

"You could've warned me he was there, you know," he grumbled at Neji. He and Hyuuga might have worked out their differences, but that didn't mean the other didn't annoy him to death sometimes.

Neji shrugged carelessly at him. "If I warned you about every little danger, you'd get as lazy as Shikamaru."

"No one's that lazy," he and Naruto said in unison and then stared at each other in surprise. Naruto blushed and Sasuke realized that he should probably get off Naruto and did.

"So Naruto, how have things been here?" Neji asked as the two stood up, dusting snow off of themselves.

Naruto shrugged. "Same as usual; kind of boring actually. Even the missions have been lame." Then he grinned, "But I was able to figure out your Christmas gift and this year, you're NOT going to guess what it is!"

"I highly doubt that," Neji said cooly.

Naruto just stuck out his tongue at the other boy.

Sasuke remained silent throughout the whole exchange and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He was still getting over the fact that somehow in the four years he'd been gone, Neji and Naruto managed to become friends. Close friends from what he'd seen. It was odd to see.

'_You have no right to feel jealous,' _he scolded himself. _'You're the one who left in the first place and you're the one who decided Naruto would be better off if you stayed away from him.'_

That didn't stop him from feeling like he'd been replaced though. Naruto proceeded to crow about the great presents he'd found and was in the process of getting while Neji listened with a slightly amused look. Naruto used to constantly chatter at him like that before that damn Orochimaru showed up.

He probably could of left without either of them noticing but he wanted to stay and just drink in the sight of Naruto actually there for once. Just because he'd made the decision to stay away from the blonde didn't mean he couldn't indulge himself in the other's presence for awhile. Of course those few minutes of indulgence usually made it harder for him to avoid Naruto later but he was good at self control. If he wasn't, he would've kissed the ninja the minute he realized who he had pinned to the ground just now.

'_Get over it, Uchiha,'_ he frowned and came to his senses. Out loud he said, "I'm out of here."

Naruto paused in his description of the painting he had found for Kiba and Hinata. "Really? But I was going to invite you guys to come have ramen with me!"

"I'm not a fan of ramen, you know that."

"Oh, right," Naruto said, in a small voice. Sasuke started to feel bad, but turned before he could say something he would regret.

'_I'm sorry Naruto, it would be better for you if I stayed away.'_

Naruto sighed as he watched Sasuke take off. This was how it had always been ever since Sasuke had returned.

"Still hung up on him, huh?" Neji asked.

"I'm not 'hung up' on him!" Naruto said, glaring at the boy.

"Right. Of course you aren't," Neji said. Naruto could tell by the tone of his voice that he didn't believe him.

'_Can't blame him. I don't believe me, either'_ Naruto thought glumly.

_Tip: Take your list with you when you shop! Mental lists do not work, you always forget SOMETHING. _

Naruto was sure he looked ridiculous carrying four large bags of gifts and three rolls of wrapping paper but he didn't care. _'I'm done!_' hethought in triumph. _'Except for Sasuke's present, of course' _but he preferred not to think about that. He was sure if he kept looking between now and Christmas he'd find SOMETHING that would make Sasuke smile. _'Maybe I'm aiming too high, there' _he thought bemusedly. _'I'll at least get him something he'll LIKE and not just toss aside.' _But that was the problem, he realized.

Sasuke didn't go in for the normal things that you tended to get people. He wasn't much of a reader, unless it was a scroll of some sort that would help him improve his ninja skills. He didn't care for trinkets and other such whimsical items as he was rarely home to enjoy them anyway. As far as Naruto knew, aside from training, Sasuke had no real hobbies. He could have gotten his friend some of the usual ninja gear but judging from who he talked too EVERYONE was getting him stuff like that. Naruto wanted his gift to be special. Something that showed Sasuke that Naruto forgave him and would make the other see that they were still friends. Maybe if he knew that, Sasuke would stop avoiding him or finding quick excuses to leave when they ran into each other.

But it was so hard coming up with a gift that said all that! Finding a gift that Sasuke would actually like was hard enough, but finding one that would send a message was even harder.

"Lousy bastard," he muttered. "He always has to complicate things."

"Naruto!" a voice called out from behind him, and he turned to see Sakura, carrying two bags and walking towards him.

"Sakura-chan!" he yelled back in greeting. His mood lifted greatly as he saw her. He might have gotten over his crush on the pink-haired girl a long time ago but the sight of her still managed to cheer him up. The two had become a lot closer over the time that Sasuke had been gone. Now he considered the girl the sister he never had.

"Finished all your Christmas shopping already?" she asked in surprise, looking at all the bags he was holding.

"Yup! Just one more person to buy for and I'm done!" he said proudly.

"Still haven't found a present for Sasuke, huh?" she asked, knowingly.

The blonde pouted. "No. How'd you know?"

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes. "I'm having the same trouble. He's so hard to buy for!"

"Tell me about it," Naruto grumbled.

"Want some help with those?" she gestured towards the rolls of wrapping paper Naruto was balancing in his arms.

"That'd be great! Thanks! Hey, I have some hot chocolate; we can have some when we get to my apartment."

"You have something at your place besides instant ramen?" Sakura teased as she took the rolls from his hands.

Naruto stuck out his tongue at her and they headed to his apartment complex.

"Did you know that Sasuke and Neji got back yesterday?" Sakura asked as they reached the building.

"Yup. I hit Sasuke with a snowball to welcome him home," Naruto snickered as he remembered the incident.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto, are you sure you're nineteen?"

The blonde blinked. "Yeah, you were there at my birthday party, remember?" Then he glared. "Hey, are you implying I'm immature!"

"I'm not implying anything, Naruto," Sakura said sweetly. Too sweetly in his opinion.

"Yeah, right," Naruto grumbled as he opened the door to his apartment.

The two spent the rest of the afternoon going over what they got for everyone and trying to rack their brains on what to get Sasuke. Neither came up with anything and so started to rant about how difficult the guy was to buy for. One thing Naruto loved about being friends with Sakura now was that the two now were able to rant together. It was actually very stress relieving to rant out loud with someone else instead of ranting in your head, or so he had found out.

Sakura finally had to go home. As she put on her coat she looked at Naruto, "Don't forget about the Christmas party I'm throwing. It's on Christmas Eve, remember?"

Naruto grinned. "I remember." Then he paused. "Um...you're parents aren't coming are they?" Sakura's parents were not exactly thrilled that their daughter had made friends with the Kyuubi-holder and didn't hesitate to be rude to him if he ever came over.

Sakura frowned. "No. They have another party they're going too. Even if they were coming, you'd still be invited. It's MY party and I'll invite who I want. God, I can't wait until I find my own place."

Naruto smiled. "I'm sure you'll find a place soon."

"Hopefully. See you." With a wave, she left, and Naruto was once again alone.

He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Naruto had become a slightly sore point between Sakura and her stubborn parents. She had found out about the demon inside Naruto awhile ago and stated that she didn't care. Afterwards the two started to become close friends despite the Harunos trying to get their daughter to stay away from him. This caused several arguments between Sakura and her parents. It didn't help that her parents were already not happy with their daughter's growing independence, wanted her to become a Jounin instead of a medic-nin, and didn't really approve of Lee that much. They felt that she could find a much better suitor.

Now Sakura was in the process of finding her own place because she was getting fed up with her parents trying to control her life.

'_It's probably for the best' _Naruto thought. But that still didn't stop him from feeling bad for causing problems in the Haruno family.

_Tip: The earlier you get your Christmas shopping done, the better. Don't forget that real life can be as hectic Christmas shopping. Work, whether in the job world or in school, can pile up and before you know it you have three or four things you have to do before Christmas vacation and don't have time to buy Christmas presents._

On the first weekend of December Naruto got a summons from Tsunade to meet her in her office. That usually meant that there was a mission for him. _'Good thing I bought all my presents while I had the chance' _he thought ruefully as he headed towards the Hokage's office.

The blonde walked into the office and stopped in surprise when he saw Sasuke sitting in one of the chairs in front of Tsunade's desk. _'Oh no, please tell me she's not sending us on a mission together!' _he thought in slight panic. But then, he had been feeling restless lately and due to that restlessness, he had tricked Tsunade and Jiraiya into getting locked into the scroll room together for about five hours a few days ago.

'_I was hoping it would get them to stop arguing and start kissing, but NOO, they had to be stubborn. Though it was still damn funny watching them trying to get through all my jutsus' _he thought as he sat down and looked warily at the fifth Hokage.

"Nice of you to join us, brat," Tsunade said in a misleading pleasant voice. "Since he got here early, I already told Sasuke about the mission. Now I'm going to tell you. You two are to travel to Wind Country and escort Gaara of the Sand and his sister, Temari back to Konoha. There's always a little get together between the Kages around Christmas and it's my turn to host it this year."

"What," Naruto started to protest. "Gaara and Temari hardly need protection!"

"No," Tsunade agreed. "But it's protocol. I had to deal with annoying escorts the last time, now it's his turn."

"But-," he started then paused. In his head he ranted _'You had to choose me and Sasuke to escort him? Yeah right! You're doing this out of revenge you old hag! I locked you in with Jiraiya-sensei and now you're sticking me and Sasuke on a mission you know the two of us can't refuse.' _

If he hadn't been so mad, he would've admired the brilliance of the revenge. In a way, sticking him with Sasuke on this mission was just the same as Naruto locking her and Jiraiya in the scroll room. _'She's giving me a taste of my own medicine.'_

"Are you turning down this mission, Naruto?" Tsunade said in a slightly teasing tone.

"No," Naruto grumbled.

"Good. You and Sasuke leave tomorrow morning."

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke and saw that he was staring straight ahead with an emotionless face._ 'This is going to be a long mission'_ he thought miserably.

AUTHOR NOTES: I don't know much about Gaara except for what's been translated and what I've heard. I heard somewhere that he became the kage for Fire Country. I'm not sure if this is right but if it isn't, well this pretty much AU anyway so go with it. It gives me a way to bring him into the fic. PLEASE REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 3: Step 4

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: A GUIDE TO GETTING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: PG-13/T

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

SUMMARY: Naruto prides himself on being the best gift-giver but he hits a serious speed-bump when it comes to buying a gift for his best friend (and secret crush) Sasuke. Will he find the perfect gift in time? Or will he learn that sometimes the best gifts aren't always necessarily wrapped?

PAIRING: SasuNaru, KakaIru, LeeSaku, KibaHina, ShikaIno, NejiGaara

AUTHOR NOTES: I apologize for messing up where Gaara lives. I don't have my old issues of SJ with me and wanted to update quickly so I didn't check. Next time I'll check. Thank you to those who reviewed and gently corrected me, I plan on going back and correcting the part so it's right.

CHAPTER 3: STEP 4-FOR THAT HARD TO SHOP FOR PERSON...

_Tip: There is always someone difficult to shop for. If it's someone you don't know well, try getting to know them better to get inspiration. If it's a family member, a gift from the heart always works. If it's a friend, chances are they'll appreciate any gift you've put thought into._

Naruto sighed once again.

"Would you please stop doing that?" Sasuke asked in irritation.

"Well, maybe if you actually talked once in awhile, I wouldn't sigh," he shot back.

"We're on a mission; we're not here to socialize."

"This isn't a mission, it's baby-sitting," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke snorted. "I'll be sure to tell Gaara you think he needs a baby-sitter."

Naruto panicked. "Don't you dare!"

Sasuke just smirked and kept on walking.

'_Bastard! Just wait until I get back to Konoha! Tsunade-baba is going to get a piece of my mind! I don't care if she IS the Fifth Hokage!' _Naruto glared at Sasuke's back as he fumed silently.

"Hurry up, Dobe," Sasuke called back to him.

"Don't call me that, bastard!" Naruto yelled. _'Forget a piece of my mind! She's getting my most powerful jutsu!'_

_Tip: Taking a break from thinking about presents can help. Sometimes when you're NOT thinking about it, a present idea can come to you._

Sasuke's patience was being sorely tested, but then it always seemed to get tested

around Naruto. If the blond sighed one more time he was going to crack. It had taken half a week to travel to Wind Country, now they were headed towards Sand Village. Sasuke hoped the presence of Gaara and Temari would distract the blonde from boredom when they got to the village.

He supposed he could talk to Naruto to keep him occupied but talking was never one of his strong suits. Talking to Naruto was even harder for him so it was best to stay as silent as possible. Unfortunately for him, staying silent meant the blonde found other ways to occupy himself. At first, he had chatted.

Sasuke didn't necessarily mind this, it was slightly amusing hearing the blonde talk about what he thought about everything from snow (he loved it), to Iruka-sensei's and Kakashi's sensei's relationship (weird, but Iruka-sensei seemed happy so he didn't mind), to the new store that had opened up down the street from him (a party store that evidently had great deals on wrapping paper).

Naruto tried to get him to talk but he didn't budge and the blonde finally gave up. After that he started humming Christmas carols. Every Christmas carols under the sun. Sasuke was greatly relieved when he finally got bored with that. After they got to Wind country Naruto marveled at how warm it was when Konoha was covered in snow. Then he ran out of sights to goggle at and grew bored. Thus leading to the sighing every ten minutes.

Sasuke had never been so happy to see a village in his life when they got to Sand.

Gaara and Temari were at the village entrance when they arrived. Gaara looked as serious as ever but a small smile came to his face Naruto rushed up to him and practically glomped him.

'_He's the only one I know who would have the guts to do that'_ Sasuke thought in amusement as he watched the blonde enthusiastically greet the siblings.

As Naruto and Temari exchanged gossip Gaara nodded at him. "Uchiha."

Sasuke nodded back.

"I see Naruto-kun hasn't changed a bit," he said, nodding towards the blonde who was looking at Temari with wide eyes as she explained why she had never seen snow before.

"No, he hasn't," he replied. _'I hope he never does.'_

Gaara studied him a bit, looked at Naruto and then back at him, and then sighed. "I suppose you haven't changed either."

'_What's THAT supposed to mean?_' Sasuke wondered in confusion. "No, I don't think so..."

"Figures," Gaara scoffed. "Idiots. Both of you." Then he walked off.

'_What was THAT about?'_ Sasuke stared after the ninja with a frown.

_Tip: If you absolutely can't think of ANYTHING, buy a card, put in some cash, and tell them that you tried your best. They'll probably appreciate that you tried and won't be stuck with an absolutely lame gift that will just add to clutter and never get used._

Naruto was at the end of his rope. He, Sasuke, Temari, and Gaara were going to arrive in Konoha TOMORROW and he still couldn't think up a gift for his best friend.

'_I only have two weeks left! What am I going to do! I'm in love the guy, for crying out loud, you'd think I'd be able to think up SOMETHING!_

"Naruto," Sasuke came up behind him suddenly, causing him to jump.

"What?"

"It's my turn to take watch," he said simply.

"Oh." he got up and started to head for his tent then he paused and glanced back. Sasuke had taken his seat and had his usual emotionless face on. Seeing it again suddenly made him angry and he stomped back to the other man.

"Why do you have to be so difficult!" he burst out.

Sasuke stared up at him. "Excuse me?"

"You know what I'm talking about!"

The ninja raised an eyebrow at him and said calmly, "No, I don't."

Naruto pointed at his face. "That! I'm talking about that!"

Sasuke frowned at him. "About what?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you have to be such a stoic bastard!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh," he replied and then glanced back to the fire.

"Urgh! Stop ignoring me!"

"It's a bit hard to ignore you," Sasuke said bluntly.

The blonde snorted. "Funny, you've been managing ever since you got back."

Sasuke didn't reply. _'Probably because he knows it's true_' Naruto thought furiously. He wasn't even sure why he was angry anymore but he knew that he wanted to get to the bottom of why Sasuke was ignoring him once and for all.

"Come on, Sasuke, don't play dumb," he said, when he continued to be ignored. "You've been avoiding me for almost two years now. Ever since the fight with Orochimaru and your brother."

Sasuke still didn't reply. It started to make him angrier and even more then a little hurt. "I guess I was wrong. You are just like the villagers," he muttered bitterly.

That seemed to get Sasuke's attention because he looked up at Naruto and glared. "Excuse me?"

"You aren't talking to me anymore because you know about Kyuubi now," he stated bluntly.

The other ninja stood up and narrowed his eyes at the smaller man. "I don't give a damn about the stupid fox, Naruto. Do not mistake me for the villagers."

Naruto frowned in confusion._ 'He doesn't care about it? Then why is he avoiding me?' _

Out loud he asked the same question. Sasuke avoided his eyes. "It's complicated."

'_There he goes AGAIN.'_ "HOW is it complicated?"

"It just is."

Before Naruto could open his mouth another voice interrupted them. "Hey!"

They turned and shifted in embarrassment when they saw Temari standing in her sleep cloths with her hands on her hips. "I have last watch, guys; I would LIKE to get some sleep before then! Argue on your own time!"

"Sorry," they mumbled.

"Whatever. Just PLEASE be quiet." with a pointed look at Naruto she returned to her tent.

"You better get to bed," Sasuke said stiffly after she left.

"But-,"

"Naruto," Sasuke stopped him and looked at him tiredly. "Please. Just leave it."

"Okay," he said softly. He went to bed like Sasuke asked, but it was a long time before he fell asleep.

AUTHOR NOTES: Hmm...this fic turned out more angsty then I was planning...funny how that happened. PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 4: Step 5

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: A GUIDE TO GIVING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: T/PG-13

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto

SUMMARY: Naruto has always prided himself on being the best gift giver but this Christmas he hits a serious speed bump when trying to figure out a gift for his best friend (and secret crush) Sasuke. Will he find the perfect gift in time? Or will he learn that the best gifts aren't always necessarily wrapped?

AUTHOR NOTES: I'm sorry for the slight delay. I had three projects due this past week and a half so I was a bit too busy to write any fics. But on the bright side, that means you get two updates this week! This update, and another Sunday so I don't fall behind (I plan on completely finishing this by Christmas week). On with the fic:

CHAPTER 4: STEP 5-WHEN TOTALLY STUCK, ASK A FRIEND

_Tip: There is no shame in asking for help. Another point of view can often help in gift-giving._

Naruto admitted that he wasn't the most brilliant of thinkers. Most of his plans during battles were spontaneous bursts of brilliance coming to him at the drop of a hat. He worked hard when he needed to but he was hardly a genius like Sasuke. Especially when it came to things like emotions.

To him, emotions were the most complex thing in the world. Battling shinobi? No problem. Army of armed bandits? Peace of cake. Figuring out his feelings however was perplexing and often exasperating. Especially when it came to his feelings towards Sasuke. So he didn't bother trying to figure them out on his own. When he felt confused and wasn't sure what to do about a situation he went to someone he saw as much wiser about these things.

He went to Sakura.

So immediately after an uncomfortable week leading Gaara and Temari back to Konoha Naruto automatically headed in the direction of the hospital where Sakura was sure to be working when the group entered the village.

"Where are you going, Dobe?" Sasuke asked, looking at him in confusion as he headed in the direction opposite of the Hokage's office.

"I need to talk to Sakura. I'll catch up with you guys later," he answered stiffly. After the slight argument (he guessed it counted as an argument. There was yelling) he and Sasuke had the two had been avoiding eye contact and each other as much as they could get away with. Well, Sasuke had anyway. Not sure about what he wanted to say, Naruto decided to do the same.

The blonde tried not to cringe when dark eyes narrowed at him. "It'll have to wait. We're to report into the Hokage immediately after we arrive. You know that."

Naruto sighed and for once didn't bother arguing. He knew it would be useless anyway. Sasuke was a very thorough ninja. He believed in following procedure almost rigidly unless something came up. It frustrated the spontaneous blonde to no end sometimes when they had been put on missions together the past few times before.

'_Oh well, it's not like I can't catch Sakura on the way back' _he thought as he thought in resignation as he followed the group to the Hokage's office. _'Besides, I owe Tsunade-baba a tongue-lashing for sending me on this mission in the first place.'_

SasuNaruSasuNaru

Sakura was a bit surprised when she walked out the hospital and saw Naruto outside waiting for her. For one thing, she hadn't been expecting him to be waiting for her and for another he usually hated the hospital, saying it smelled funky and a bunch of other reasons that he once listed but she had tuned out after the first five or so.

"Naruto! Survived Sasuke I see," she said with a grin. She clearly remembered the blonde's state before he left. He had alternated between mild panic at the thought of being alone with the stoic ninja for the first time since he'd gotten back and angry ranting at Tsunade for putting him in the situation in the first place. It had finally taken both her and Lee and a few bowls of ramen to calm him down and see that it might not be so bad.

"Barely," Naruto muttered.

She looked at him closely and frowned. "What happened?"

"Well nothing really. Sasuke was just being his normally complicated self."

Sakura sighed. "Come on. Lets get something to eat. You can tell me what happened over dinner."

Naruto perked up. "Ramen?"

The pink haired girl sighed. "There ARE other kinds of foods you know, Naruto."

"But Sakura!" he whined. "I haven't had ramen in almost two weeks! Plus, I've had to put up with Sasuke's attitude all by myself! I deserve ramen!"

Sakura shook her head. _'I swear he'll never change.' _"All right, ramen it is."

SasuNaruSasuNaru

A few bowls later and several village gossip stories later Sakura finally got Naruto to tell her about what happened. As he explained she couldn't help but shake her head at the stupidity of the two boys.

"Naruto, of course Sasuke doesn't care about the demon fox! Really, I thought you knew him better then that. No wonder he was offended."

The blonde shrugged sheepishly. "Well, what was I supposed to think? He's been avoiding me ever since Orochimaru and Itachi were defeated. Even before that when he came back he would barely look at me in the eye!"

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything Naruto. He could still be feeling guilty about your fight when he left."

Naruto frowned. "Huh? That? I told him to forget about it when he returned. I got over it."

' _Men.'_ Sakura thought in annoyance. "Naruto, just because YOU'VE forgotten about it, doesn't mean HE has. Just telling him to forget about it doesn't solve anything."

"So he's avoiding me because he feels guilty?" Naruto said slowly.

Sakura shrugged. "Maybe." _'Or maybe because he's terrified of what you make him feel' _Unlike everyone else, she hadn't missed the looks Sasuke had been sending Naruto when the blonde's back was turned and he thought no one was looking.

"But that's so stupid!" Naruto burst out in frustration causing a few of the restaurants customers to lift their heads and glare at the loud ninja for disturbing them.

Sakura sighed. "Probably."

Naruto frowned and looked down at his empty ramen bowl. Then he suddenly grinned. "Well, I'll just have to get him a gift that will show him there's nothing to feel guilty about!" Then he frowned again. "Of course that's easier said then done."

The girl blinked at him in surprise. "Naruto, you still haven't found him a gift? You only have one week left!"

"I know!" the blonde said miserably. Then he looked at the girl. "You finally figured out what to get him?"

"Um...yeah. I found a business that sells personalized weapon service kits and ordered one that is blue with Sasuke's name on."

"He'll like that," Naruto said with a small smile. Inside he was kicking himself for not thinking of it.

"I'm sure Sasuke will like whatever you get him," Sakura said.

"Yeah," he muttered. _'But I want my gift to MEAN something to him! I don't want it to just be any old thing that he'll use like once and then put it aside and forget he owns it.' _

As the two paid for their meal and walked outside they saw that it had started to snow while they were inside. Naruto couldn't help but smile at the sight, suddenly feeling a little better. _'Now Temari can finally see snow' _he thought, pleased.

"Sasuke's not going to be happy about this," Sakura muttered quietly looking up at the falling snowflakes.

"Huh?" Naruto looked at her in confusion. "How can he not be happy about snow?"

"He hates the cold. Snow always makes it colder."

"Since when did he not like the cold?" Naruto asked in surprise. He'd never noticed that!

Sakura shook her head. "Naruto, he's always hated it. He's just not overly vocal about it. Didn't he ever tell you?"

Naruto didn't answer her though. When she looked at him she saw he was grinning like mad all of a sudden. _'What's up with him?' _she thought.

"Naruto are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

"Sakura, you are a genius!" he burst out and spun her around suddenly.

"Huh?" she asked in confusion as he set her down and rushed off. "Where are you going?"

"To Iruka-sensei's place! See you later!" he called back.

'_Well, I can't deny that I'm brilliant, but what was that all about?'_ she thought as she stared after him.

SasuNaruSasuNaru

Iruka Umino was very tired. He'd finally been able to dismiss his class for winter break. He wasn't sure who'd been looking forward to the vacation more: him or his students. Normally he loved his job, but sometimes (particularly during the holidays) the adolescents could be very trying.

Then when he came home Kakashi had been there waiting and in a very horny mood due to reading Icha Icha Paridise. Not that he minded that so much but the Jounin tended to get very exhausting when he was in a horny mood. This was why he was currently nestled under the covers and his head burrowed in between Kakashi's shoulder blades even though it was only eight.

It was also why murderous thoughts ran through his head when the doorbell rang. He groaned softly and tried to ignore it by burrowing closer into Kakashi's warmth. But apparently the person wasn't giving up and insisted on banging on his door loudly along with ringing the doorbell.

'_It's probably Naruto'_ the Chuunin thought dimly, remembering that the ninja was due back in the village today. _'He'll start to sneak in if I don't let him in. Especially if it's something important.' _Judging from the urgency of the knocks, the blonde felt it was important.

He finally sighed and got up. As he pulled on his clothes he looked down at Kakashi and shook his head at his lover._ 'How on earth can he sleep through that? I thought Jounin were supposed to be light sleepers?'_

Iruka slowly made his way to the door and opened the door to reveal Naruto who burst out, "It's about time!"

"Naruto," Iruka replied. Not even raising an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

"I need your help," then he noticed Iruka's loose hair and slightly rumpled appearance and wrinkled his nose. "I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

"Kakashi and I were TRYING to sleep," Iruka said bluntly.

"Oh. Sorry, but this is urgent!"

"What do you need help with Naruto?"

Naruto hesitated and looked around. Iruka sighed and let the blonde in.

"You know how to knit right?"

The teacher blinked. Out of all the things the ninja could've asked THAT was the last thing he'd been expecting. "Yes. Just the basics though. Why?"

Naruto hesitated again and then said, "I need you to help me make a scarf."

"A scarf?"

The blonde nodded. "I need to make one by Christmas."

Iruka stared. "May I ask why you need to make a scarf by Christmas?"

A slight blush made it's way to Naruto's cheeks. "It's for Sasuke."

"Ah." _'That explains it'_ Then he frowned. "You're going to have to spend a lot of time on this, Naruto, especially if you want it done by Christmas."

"I know. I'll get it done."

Iruka couldn't help but smile at the familiar determination that flashed through his eyes. "All right then. Let's get started."

Iruka mentally apologized to his lover for the less time they were going to be spending together that week as Naruto hugged him gleefully.

AUTHOR NOTES: Okay, I have no idea how long it takes to knit a scarf as I have never knitted before in my life (no patience for it) but I'm figuring if you spend all your free time on it you can get it done in a week since scarfs aren't as big as say an afghan. Of course it's finding that free time that is probably the most difficult thing...;grumbles incoherently about evil teachers;


	6. Chapter 5: Step 6

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: A GUIDE TO GIVING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: PG-13/T

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

SUMMARY: Naruto has always prided himself at being the best gift giver. But he hits a serious speed bump when it comes to giving his best friend (and secret crush) Sasuke a gift. Will he find the perfect gift in time? Or will he learn that sometimes the best gifts aren't always necessarily wrapped?

AUTHOR NOTES: Thank you to all who reviewed and let me know knitting facts. Some of it was helpful towards figuring out the time length needed to make a scarf.

CHAPTER 5: STEP 6-DON'T FORGET TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS!

_Tip: This is not really a tip, but more like advice. Don't forget to enjoy yourself during the holidays. As cliche as it sounds, the holidays are really about spending time with your family and friends, not about finding them the perfect gift._

"Naruto, maybe you should take a break?" Iruka asked cautiously three days later.

Ever since the knitting lessons had started Naruto had been staying over at Iruka and Kakashi's place (much to Kakashi's displeasure as it interrupted his Iruka-time). Iruka and Naruto had immediately started on the knitting lessons after Iruka had agreed to them. By the end of the night (around midnight or so) Naruto was well knowledged in how to properly hold the knitting needles, what type was best used for what, and was able to make basic loops. Iruka had been surprised at the amount of patience Naruto showed with knitting but then he wondered why he was. Naruto had become a bit more patient over the years, and when he was as determined as he was now he diligently went about any task set before him.

This was proved the next morning when the blonde, normally a late riser, arrived early at the apartment with the yarn and supplies needed to make a scarf and after Iruka showed him how to make rows immediately started to knit. Now clacks of needles were common in the apartment and Kakashi left saying the sound was grating his nerves.

There had been a slight pause in the sound as Iruka showed him how to switch colors and then the klacks started up again. Iruka was slowly starting to wish he'd joined his lover.

"I have to finish this! There's only two days left!" Naruto protested.

"Two? Naruto, Christmas is three days away," Iruka said in confusion. _'Oh boy, he's starting to lose track of the days.'_

The blonde shook his head. "I'm giving all my gifts at Sakura's Christmas Eve party. There's going to be a gift exchange there."

"That sounds like fun," Iruka said with a smile.

"It was fun last year," Naruto said, grinning at the memory of his first ever Christmas party.

"Well, don't party too hard. Kakashi and I expect you and Sasuke here bright and early Christmas morning."

The blonde blinked in surprise and said slowly. "Me...and Sasuke?"

Iruka nodded. "Kakashi invited him to spend Christmas with us this year."

"That's good," Naruto said with a smile. "Then he won't have to spend it alone."

"That was the idea. Now why don't you take a break, Naruto? You look like you've made good progress already, you can continue tomorrow."

The blonde frowned and glanced down at the small section of scarf that he had started. "I suppose.."

"Good. Now come help me make Christmas cookies. We haven't made any yet this year."

The blonde shot up at that. "Oh yeah! I was going to give a batch to Chouji for Christmas this year!"

"Well then, lets get started." Iruka started to pull out the cookie ingredients and breathed a sigh of relief. _'Finally...no more needle clacking...'_

SasuNaruSasuNaru

Sasuke shivered from his position in the tree. He was on his nightly patrol and mentally cursed Tsunade for assigning him night watch. For some odd reason the woman had seemed displeased with him ever since he and Naruto had gotten back from escorting Gaara and Temari back to Konoha and he guessed this was her way of taking out her anger on him.

Wind blew and Sasuke cursed out loud this time. "Fucking cold," he muttered.

"Now, now, no need to curse," Sasuke jumped and glared at Kakashi who appeared out of no where next to him on the tree. Despite all his developed skills, the ninja still managed to sneak up on him. It was damn annoying.

"What are you doing here? You're not on watch," he muttered at the Jounin, not really caring about the answer.

"Well things are slightly boring at home, so I'd thought I'd come see how my favorite former student was doing."

"I'm freezing my ass off thanks to the old hag who is our Hokage, how do you think I'm doing?" he said, not caring if he sounded like he was griping. He was allowed to gripe, he'd been out there for three hours. Really, Tsunade was a closet sadist; that was the only explanation. "How can it be boring at your home anyway? Don't you and Iruka-sensei usually go at it like rabbits? How can you be bored?"

"That's a rather crude way of putting my relationship with Iruka but I'll let it pass. It's boring because Iruka has been busy to answer your question."

"Oh? With what?"

"He's been helping Naruto with one of his Christmas gifts. Your gift actually."

Sasuke blinked. "MY Christmas gift?"

"You sound surprised."

"I am. Naruto and I haven't exactly been on the best of terms lately."

"You really think that would stop Naruto?"

"No," Sasuke replied with a sigh. Naruto would always give any friend of his a Christmas gift or birthday gift whether or not they were being an ass. It was just the way the blonde was. He valued each and every friendship he had and made sure to let that person know even if they were having an argument.

"I do hope you at least got a gift for him?"

"Of course," he replied casually even though the gift had been rather difficult to get.

"Good. Iruka would've killed you if you had forgotten," Kakashi said in a tone of voice that implied that he was completely serious.

"Iruka-sensei needs to be less overprotective," he replied bluntly.

"Would you like to tell him that?" Kakashi asked. Something in his eyes told Sasuke that he was smirking underneath his mask.

"No thanks," he said.

"I didn't think so." There was a silence after that. Then Kakashi said casually, "So what is going on between you and Naruto anyway?"

Sasuke glared at him and gritted out, "None. Of. Your. Business."

"Now is that anyway to talk to your former sensei?"

"It is when he's being an ass."

He got the distinct feeling Kakashi was smirking again. "Wherever did you learn such language?"

Sasuke gave his own smirk. "Naruto."

"Speaking of whom..."

"Go away, Kakashi," he interrupted the man before he could go further.

The silver haired man sighed. "You're no fun tonight. Maybe Gai's up for a spar." With that the man disappeared.

Sasuke shook his head. _'To think, he's one of the most powerful ninjas in the land.'_

SasuNaruSasuNaru

"I still can't believe you waited until NOW to get a Christmas tree, Naruto!" Sakura said in an exasperated voice. "It's the day before Christmas Eve! All the good trees are going to be taken."

The two were bundled up for the cold weather and headed toward the tree lot as she was saying this and Naruto shrugged. "I've always gotten my tree this time of year. Besides, I live in a small place anyway so I don't need a really big one." He didn't add that getting a tree this time had always given him something to do for Christmas day. Now a days he had people to spend the day with, but those first few lonely Christmases still stuck in his mind sometimes and the habit of getting the tree just before Christmas Eve had never really gone away.

Besides, he had finally finished Sasuke's scarf an hour ago so he felt like celebrating anyway. What better way to celebrate then by picking out his Christmas tree? "You didn't have to come, you know."

"Hey, what are friends for?" the girl smiled at him, causing him to grin back. "Besides, Mom was starting in on Lee again and I was about to blow my top."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-Chan, I've failed in impressing your parents," Lee said next to her, hanging his head in shame.

"Don't apologize, Lee! My parents are just being assholes!" Sakura said vehemently.

"Sakura!" Naruto said in surprise.

"Well they are! They should respect my wishes and be happy for me! Not try and control my life all the time." the girl ranted angrily.

"My Sakura is so beautiful when she's angry!" Lee gushed next to her.

'_Oh thank God, the tree lot'_ Naruto thought. "Hey look guys, we're here!"

The tree lot was surprisingly rather busy and while the trees were somewhat picked over, there were some decent ones left still. Just as the three started to enter they heard their names called and turned to see Ino waving at them, pulling a rather peeved looking Shikamaru behind her.

"Hey, guys. What are you doing here?" she said as she arrived.

"Naruto hasn't gotten his tree yet. You?" Sakura asked.

"Shikamaru hasn't gotten his either," the blonde rolled her eyes.

"I told you, woman! I don't need a Christmas tree! They're too troublesome!" Shikamaru tried to get out of her grasp. The blonde girl's eye twitched and she smacked his forehead.

"Shikamaru, stop being an idiot! You need some sort of cheer in that dump you call an apartment!" The lazy ninja didn't reply but rubbed his forehead and grumbled about troublesome women.

"Sasuke's going to be here soon, too," Ino added with a grin of triumph.

"Sasuke; buying a Christmas tree?" Naruto asked incrediously. For some reason the sight of it just wouldn't come to him.

"Hey, that mansion of his is no better then Shikamaru's place!" Ino said. She ignored his indigent protests and continued, "It's all dark and creepy. There needs to be some color!"

"How'd you get him to agree to come?" Naruto asked, slightly impressed.

The blonde girl grinned in a way not that was eerily similar to Naruto's famous fox grin. "I sent Chouji to the mansion and told him not to leave Sasuke alone until he came here. You know how Sasuke hates having people hover over him. Oh! There they are now!"

The group turned and sure enough, there was a disgruntled looking Sasuke stalking towards them with a slightly pleased looking Chouji following him, munching on cookies. He stiffened slightly when he saw Naruto but headed towards the group anyway. He glared at Ino and ground out, "Be glad I don't hit girls except in fights." Then he stalked into the tree lot without another word.

Naruto couldn't help but start to laugh. The others soon joined him; even Shikamaru was cracking a grin.

'_It's great having friends'_ he thought as he watched Sasuke turn and glare back at them for laughing.

AUTHOR NOTES: Only two more parts, plus and epilogue to go! I hope everyone is having good luck with their Christmas shopping. PLEASE REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 6: Step 7

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: A GUIDE TO GIVING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: PG-13/T

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto. That's why this is FANfiction.

PAIRING: You haven't figured it out by now?

AUTHOR NOTES: Thank you to all those who gave Happy holiday wishes and reviewed the last part.

CHAPTER 6: STEP 7-DON'T FORGET WRAPPING PAPER OR CARDS!

_Tip: Don't forget to buy Christmas cards. It's very easy to do. Wrapping paper should also be festive and fun. No newspaper wrapping please. Unless you're dead broke, then at least make the wrapping creative. If you are dead broke after buying expensive gifts then just make cards._

It took some doing and arguing but Christmas Trees were eventually bought for Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sasuke. They had split up into three smaller groups to get the trees to Naruto's apartment, Shikamaru's place, and Sasuke's mansion. After they were done setting up Naruto's tree in its stand, Sakura, Lee, and Naruto headed over to Sasuke's mansion to help decorate. They had decided to tackle Sasuke's place first because according Ino, Sasuke hadn't even put up a Christmas wreath on his door.

The Uchiha mansion was in a part of Konoha Naruto didn't venture into often. It was where most of the prominent families resided. In fact, the Hyuuga main branch lived just down the street from Sasuke's place. The mansion itself was rather creepy like Ino claimed and looking at it just made Naruto feel sad. _'No wonder Sasuke brooded so much when he was kid. Oh wait, he still broods.'_

The interiors of the house were rather traditional and Naruto noticed that the clan symbol was a rather prominent feature. He couldn't help but wonder just what had gone on through Sasuke's head when he was younger and living on his own here. _'Maybe if someone had taken the time to actually try and get to know him for himself and hadn't always seen him as the last Uchiha, the whole Orochimaru incident would never have happened.' _

"Naruto, you coming?" Sakura broke him out of his thoughts as he stared at the Uchiha clan symbol engraved on the gate doors.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm coming."

SasuNaruSasuNaru

Sasuke was seriously annoyed.

Any minute now he was going to let a kunai fly. Preferably in Ino's direction. It had been bad enough that she ordered Chouji to follow him around everywhere until he bought a Christmas tree, now she was demanding to know where the decorations were.

He had decorations. They were in the storage area like the rest of the objects that had belonged to his parents and relatives. Since he had no use for them they stayed there every holiday. There were a lot of decorations too. One of the things he remembered about his mother was that she had adored Christmas and that was always the time the house looked its best.

But he wasn't about to show Ino the storage area. The well-meaning, but nosy girl would poke around there and start to ask questions about his family. He didn't like talking about the clan to anyone. It wasn't like he could tell them much anyway, his memories of them had become dim over the years.

"Sasuke-kun, are you SURE, there are no old decorations around here?" Ino asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Damn, she didn't believe him. Sasuke found himself actually missing the blind fangirl who had once thought his word was sacred and would never have dreamed of pulling the stuff she had been pulling on him lately.

Before he could say he was sure Sakura, Lee, and Naruto came into the room. "All right, where are those decorations! Lets get some cheer into this place!" Naruto announced his presence and rubbed his hands. The blonde looked around and noticed that the tree was still leaning against the wall. "You haven't even set up the tree yet?"

"Mr. Grinch, over there refuses to tell us were the decorations are," Kiba said with a derisive snort. Naruto glared at him and put his hands on his hips.

"Stop being a jerk, Sasuke!"

Sasuke stubbornly didn't move from his leaning position against the wall and kept his arms crossed. "I said I'd buy the tree. I never said anything about decorating it, or my house."

"You're wasting money!"

"So?" He had tons.

The blonde scowled. "Look. We're not going to leave until you let us at least get some ornaments on the tree, so unless you want a group sleep-over, you might as well just tell us where the decorations are. After you tell us, you can just leave. We're not going to make you participate or anything, even though you should since it's your place."

"Fine. But I'm just showing you," he snapped.

Naruto blinked and looked at him curiously. "Why just me?"

"Because I don't trust any of these idiots around my house," he muttered.

The blonde caught onto the unspoken 'but I trust you' and smiled shyly. "Okay, lets go."

Kiba, who had been looking forward to another famous Sasuke/Naruto argument shook his head at the two. "You two have the weirdest relationship."

"Shut up, Kiba," they both said in unison and then looked at each other. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk and then headed down the hall, knowing Naruto would follow him.

Kiba watched them go and muttered, "I was just saying what everyone else was thinking." Hinata smiled softly and patted her boyfriend's back in sympathy.

SasuNaruSasuNaru

'_Man, this place is like a maze.' _Naruto thought as Sasuke led him down yet another hall. Out loud he asked, "Don't you ever get lost?"

"I don't use much of this place. Mostly just the living areas and my room. The rest of it I leave alone." Sasuke answered.

"Oh," the blonde said quietly. Then he bit his lib and asked hesitantly, "Don't you ever get lonely?"

"Not as much as I used too," Sasuke answered quietly.

They finally reached the end of a long corridor and Sasuke opened a large sliding door and led them into a large room filled with boxes. There were also things that looked like paintings covered in sheets leaning against the walls and some old looking furniture pieces.

"Decorations are somewhere in there," Sasuke said, gesturing towards the pile of boxes.

"Okay," Naruto stepped forward and was grateful that the boxes were marked. If they weren't, the two of them would be in there for hours. He finally found one marked ornaments in near the back of the room. As he started digging it out of the corner he noticed that one of the sheets covering the painting next to it was starting to fall off. Unable to stop his curiosity the blonde lifted the sheet to look at the painting.

The painting turned out to be a portrait of a woman. Even though he had admitted to himself that he was attracted to men, even he had to admire the woman's beauty. She had dark hair that was pulled into a tight bun, and dark mysterious eyes. There was something familiar about her even though Naruto was sure he had never seen her before in his life.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's voice came from directly behind him, causing Naruto to yelp in surprise.

"Don't do that!" he said indigently. Then he noticed Sasuke glaring at the painting and then back to him and gulped. "Sorry, it...fell off." That excuse sounded lame even as he said it. Judging from Sasuke's raised eyebrow, he didn't believe it for a minute. But instead of calling Naruto's bluff, he simply covered up the painting again.

"Who was she?" Naruto asked hesitantly, nodding at the now covered up portrait.

"My mother," Sasuke said stiffly.

"Oh," he said in surprise. No wonder the woman had seemed familiar to him. She had the same dark features and the same annoying smirk that Sasuke sported whenever Naruto made a fool of himself.

"She was very pretty," Naruto said as Sasuke lifted the box of ornaments on the ground.

"I guess," Sasuke said. "Lets go."

Sensing that it wasn't a subject Sasuke wanted to talk about, Naruto grabbed the second box of ornaments and followed him out of the room.

SasuNaruSasuNaru

On Christmas Eve morning Naruto slept in. It wasn't surprising, after all last night he had been very busy. After the group had finished decorating Sasuke's Christmas tree they had gone to Shikamaru's apartment next since it was just a few blocks over. They would have put up other decorations in Sasuke's place but he threatened them when they started to ask where the Christmas wreath was and wisely left.

Then after Shikamaru's place was done they had all wandered over to Naruto's apartment. The decorating had been briefly interrupted by his annoying neighbor who complained about the music they were playing. The old hag had been chased away by Sakura and Ino though who both called her a few choice names. Seeing the old woman who had harassed him since he was a kid get told off by the two outspoken girls had been immensely satisfying for Naruto.

Everyone had finally left around ten and then he had a patrol shift which lasted well into the early morning. Around three AM he had finally crawled into his bed tired but happy.

His Christmas Eve afternoon was spent wrapping the gifts for the party that night. This was the only part that he hated. Naruto freely admitted that he was a horrible gift wrapper. Most of the wrapping was sloppy and when he could help it, he just put the gifts in bags to make things easier on himself. But things like Kiba and Hinata's wall scroll wouldn't fit into a bag so he was currently sitting at his table, surrounded by pieces of green and red wrapping paper, trying to wrap Sasuke's scarf.

'_I should have gotten a box for it' _he thought as he tried to make it so the tape wouldn't get caught on the yarn.

Finally, at around five-thirty PM he was finally done which was a good thing because the party started at six. As he gathered his gift he silently prayed that Sasuke would like his gift and then headed towards Sakura's place.

AUTHOR NOTES: Almost coming to the end! Happy holidays to everyone and PLEASE REVIEW!


	8. Chapter 7: Step 8

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: A GUIDE TO GIVING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: PG-13/R

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto. That's why Sasuke and Naruto aren't constantly flirting or kissing in the show, why Kakashi hasn't married Iruka, and why Sakura has not agreed to go out with Lee yet.

PAIRING: SasuNaru, KakaIru, LeeSaku, NejiGaara, KibaHina, and ShikaIno.

AUTHOR NOTES: The last part! But not the actual end, there is still a epilogue coming up. You'll see why at the end of this chapter.

CHAPTER 7: STEP 8-GIVING THE GIFT

_Tip: When giving the gift don't act like you expect anything or expect major gratitude from the person. Just grin and say "here" and be happy when they exclaim in delight over it. Making that person happy is (presumingly) after all why you went through all that trouble to get the gift in the first place. _

Naruto cursed colorfully as he dropped a gift for the fifth time on the way to Sakura's place.

"Should you be cursing on a religious holiday, Dobe?" an amused sounding voice came from behind him causing him to jump a mile high and drop the rest of the presents he was balancing in his arms. He glared at Sasuke as the other man held in a snort poorly.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me!" he demanded. Then he noticed that Sasuke wasn't carrying any gifts. "Hey, didn't Sakura tell you giving gifts to everyone was a requirement?"

"I brought all my presents to Sakura's yesterday in pieces. They're already under the tree," Sasuke said.

"Oh." Then he kicked himself mentally for not thinking about doing that.

"Here," Sasuke suddenly came forward and gathered half of the packages in his arms.

"Thanks," Naruto said gratefully and the two continued onto Sakura's place in a comfortable silence.

Sakura answered the door when they rang it and blinked at the sight of the two of them carrying gifts. "There you two are! You're the last ones to get here. Come on in."

They followed her into the living room to find the place decked out in green and red and holiday things all over the place. The tree was the most impressive sight. It was a good eight feet and due to everyone being required to bring presents had a fairly large pile of gifts under it. Sakura noticed Sasuke eyeing a small glitter snowman in bemusement and blushed. "My Mom tends to go overboard with the decorating around this time of year."

Overboard was a slight understatement. Lights hung all over the windows facing the outside. The tree was overloaded with ornaments in all shapes and sizes. There was holly and ivy all over the fireplace mantle, along with the family stockings. Little snowmen, Santa, and reindeer figurines decorated every available tabletop and a large dish of Christmas cookies (currently being devoured by Chouji with help from Kiba) sat on the coffee table. Naruto also couldn't help but notice mistletoe hung in every available archway.

The blonde suddenly felt like a Scrooge for having only one small Christmas tree and wreathe at his apartment. He brushed it aside though as he and Sasuke dumped his presents under the tree and went to mingle. Or he went to mingle and Sasuke simply disappeared.

He first headed over to Temari who was eyeing her glass of eggnog suspiciously. "Hey, Temari! How's it going? Sorry I haven't talked to you in a few days."

"That's okay, I've been busy. Besides, I'll be here until a week after New Years Day so we'll have plenty of time to talk."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "I thought you and Gaara were leaving right after Christmas? Wasn't Gaara complaining about this taking a lot of time away from his Kage duties?"

Temari grinned mischievously. "Oh, my brother isn't so concerned about his job anymore. He's found something in Konoha that interests him more."

"What?"

The girl smirked and gestured behind Naruto. "Look."

The blonde turned and then gaped at the sight Gaara sitting on a bench very closely next to Neji. Neji seemed to be explaining something in great detail and Gaara was listening in rapt attention but Naruto could tell he was paying more attention to Neji then to whatever the ninja was explaining. His eyes were glued to the other and a slight blush dusted his cheeks.

His eyes widened and he looked at Temari. "Neji and Gaara!"

The girl nodded.

"When did it happen?"

"When we got here, the Hokage assigned Neji to be our escort around the village. He and Gaara started to spend time together and the next thing I know, my brother wants to spend more time here, saying we could learn a lot from the Konoha ninja. I've been watching them when they think I'm not looking and they're definitely flirting."

Naruto smiled. "Well, that's great!"

Temari nodded, a beam on her face. "Isn't it? My brother is starting to look happy!"

The two then spent the next fifteen minutes plotting ways to get Neji and Gaara under the mistletoe without their suspicion. Just as they were starting to come up with a ruse, Sakura announced it was present time and gifts started to get handed around.

Naruto beamed as everyone his gifts. Ino squealed over the earrings he got her; Shikamaru nodded in appreciation at his philosophy book; Chouji grunted out a thanks as he started gobbling down his cookies; Kiba and Hinata awed over their wall scroll; Shino smiled (at least Naruto thought he smiled, it was a little hard to tell with Shino sometimes) when he got a new magnifying glass to help him identify bugs better; TenTen gushed over her weapon design illustration book; Lee said an emotional speech (half of which Naruto tuned out due to length) as he opened up a framed picture of him and Sakura together during one of their group outings; and Neji (much to his disappointment) had indeed guessed that he had gotten a kunai sharpener. Temari and Gaara had both gotten new kunai holders engraved with their names on them.

His own gifts ranged to gift certificates for ramen at his favorite ramen stand (Kiba, Shino, and Chouji), to a book on the previous Kage's (Gaara), to manga novels from his favorite series. After Sakura had opened his gift to her and hugged him he finally got up the nerve to ask where Sasuke was.

The girl smiled knowingly at him. "He said he'd open his gifts later. But he wanted me to give this to you."

The blonde took the large envelope from the girl in surprise. He had figured that Sasuke wouldn't even get him a gift. Sakura looked at him as he stared at it. "Well, aren't you going to open it?"

Naruto smiled and then opened it. Inside were two pieces of paper. The first one was a letter so he read that first:

_Dobe,_

_This was not easy to find, so don't lose it. The name on this thing should probably surprise me, but then I've grown used to you surprising the hell out of me. _

_Merry Christmas,_

_Sasuke_

Naruto frowned in confusion and looked at the second piece of paper. His blue eyes widened and he stared in shock down at the document.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"My birth certificate..."

The girl frowned. "Huh?"

"That bastard found my birth certificate and gave it to me for Christmas!" Naruto shook his head in astonishment. Only Sasuke would think of something like this, he mused to himself as he stared at his name and the two names under it. One was the fourth Hokage's name under father's name and the other was a name he didn't recognize: Chihiro Uzumaki. '_I finally know my mother's name...'_ he thought incredulously. Tsunade and Jiraiya had finally confessed to him about a year ago that Yondaime had been his birth father, but neither of them knew who his mother had been.

'_How did he FIND this?'_ the blonde thought in wonder.

Then he stood up in determination. "Sakura, did you see which way Sasuke headed to?"

The girl nodded and pointed to the back entrance that led to an outdoor patio. Naruto grabbed the gift he made and headed towards it. Sure enough, there, leaning against one of the patio rails was Sasuke.

"You know I don't think I'll ever understand you," he said loudly, causing the other man to turn and look at him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked in slight confusion.

"It has to do with everything!" the blonde said in exasperation as he came closer. He held up the certificate. "First you spend all this time avoiding me, making me think you hate me or something, then you go and get this for me!"

Sasuke stiffened when he saw the gift and turned away. "I'm sorry if you don't like it."

Naruto stomped his foot in frustration. "I never said I didn't like it! Stop assuming you know how I feel!" Then he sighed and held out his gift and snapped. "Here."

Sasuke eyed the gift warily and took it. He carefully unwrapped it and stared down at the scarf. It was dark blue with small orange stripes running up and down it. Naruto shifted nervously as he continued to stare down at it with an unreadable expression.

"I know, it's not that good," the blonde said in embarrassment. "But it was my first scarf and well...Sakura mentioned you hate the cold...and...will you say something?"

Instead of saying something Sasuke suddenly started to chuckle softly. Naruto stared at him as the chuckles turned into a flow blown laugh. "What's so funny?" he demanded. Inside tough, he was marveling at the fact that Sasuke could actually laugh.

Sasuke sobered and said, "I'm not laughing at you, Naruto. I'm laughing at myself."

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head and stared at him in confusion.

"I actually thought I could do it," the ninja murmured to himself, shaking his head.

"Do what?"

"Stay away from you."

Naruto's eyes widened and he continued to stare. Sasuke smiled slightly and pressed a hand against the blonde's cheek causing the other to jump in surprise.

"It's impossible for me to stay away from you, do you know that?" the man said softly. "I don't know why, but I just can't ignore you. Even when I want to, you won't let me."

"Why do you want to ignore me in the first place?" Naruto asked softly.

Sasuke shook his head. "I have to."

The blonde frowned. "Says who? If this is about the stupid Orochimaru thing, you already made up for that!"

Sasuke snorted in disbelief and dropped his hand, much to Naruto's silent disappointment. "Naruto, I punched a fucking HOLE through your chest! That is hardly a 'stupid thing'."

Naruto suddenly became angry. "I KNOW THAT! You think I don't remember? I do! But I got over it and moved on! We were stupid kids then, Sasuke. You grew up, you realized you were wrong and have done more then enough to make up for it! Why can't you realize this so we can be friends like before?"

"It's not that simple," Sasuke said.

"Like anything with you is simple," Naruto snorted. "Why is it not that simple THIS time?"

Sasuke suddenly strode right up to Naruto causing the blonde to gasp in surprise. He became all to aware of how close their bodies were and he looked up at the other man questionably and started when he noticed how close their faces were.

"It's not that simple because I'm pretty sure I want more then friendship from you," Sasuke said softly.

Naruto shivered as he felt the other's breath on his face and said softly, "Maybe I'm okay with that."

Sasuke blinked at that and studied him for several minutes. Whatever he was going to say next was interrupted by a pointed cough behind them. They turned to find a masked ANBU agent standing a few feet away.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the Hokage needs you right away, Sir," the man said to Sasuke.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "We're supposed to have the night off."

The man shrugged apologetically. "It's an emergency."

"Go on, Sasuke," Naruto said. The other looked down at him hesitantly and he smiled re-assuredly. "We'll talk when you get back."

Sasuke frowned but turned back to the agent and said, "Tell the Hokage I'll be there in a few minutes."

The agent nodded and took off. Sasuke started to leave but then glanced back at Naruto and muttered, "Fuck it." He then strode purposefully towards the blonde and kissed him hard. Naruto was too startled to kiss back and so just blinked in a daze when Sasuke pulled back. The ninja smirked slightly and then left.

Whoever was within a mile of the Haruno's place then heard a joyful shout of "THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!"

AUTHOR NOTES: Not the end! Still an epilogue coming up. Please review.


	9. Epilogue

CHRISTMAS LISTS FOR DUMMIES: THE GUIDE TO GIVING THE PERFECT GIFT

AUTHOR: fantasylover12001

RATING: PG-13/T

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

EPILOGUE: THE END OF THE HOLIDAYS

_Tip: Enjoy the fact that the holidays are over! You've earned your vacation!_

Inside Iruka and Kakashi's flatthe new years eve party was in full swing. Considering how many people were in the small living area it was understandable that Naruto started to feel a little claustrophobic and snuck outside to the balcony at around eleven.

He shivered and pulled his orange jacket tighter.

"You should of worn something warmer, Dobe," a voice came from behind.

Naruto jumped and glared at Sasuke who was smirking behind him. "Stop doing that!" he said in irritation. After a second thought, he added, "Don't call me that, either!"

Sasuke snorted and then went to stand next to him. Naruto studied the man a few minutes. He hadn't seen Sasuke since the surprise kiss on Christmas Eve; it was obvious from the gear the other ninja had sat down that he'd just arrived from wherever the Hokage had sent him. Naruto couldn't help but feel smug when he saw the scarf he'd made wrapped around the other's neck securely. The two stood in silence until he, unable to stand it, blurted out, "You kissed me."

The other man raised an eyebrow and said, "Yes. I did."

"Why?"

"Why do you think?" Sasuke retorted.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about these kinds of things," Naruto burst out. _'Geez, I'm acting like a girl, getting mad all of a sudden for no reason.'_ he thought to himself in quiet disgust.

"What; you think I do?" Sasuke demanded. Then he sighed. "Look, why don't we take this slowly? See where it takes us and go from there."

"Okay." Naruto hesitated, then asked, "Going slowly includes kissing, right?"

Sasuke smirked and lent forward. "Dobe.."

SasuNaruSasuNaru

At around midnight Iruka started to wonder where Naruto had wandered off too and asked Sakura if she'd seen him.

The pink haired girl smiled mischievously, "I don't think we should bother Naruto right now, Sensei."

Iruka looked at her in confusion, "Why not?"

She took his arm and silently led him to the sliding doors leading to the balcony and pointed outside. "He's enjoying his Christmas present right now."

Iruka immediately saw what she meant. The blonde was currently wrapped in the arms of Sasuke and the two were kissing each other intensely. Neither were even noticing that they had a small audience; Anko was studiously looking at her drink, while Gai and Lee were sighing happily over young love. The teacher smiled and closed the blinds to give the couple some more privacy.

THE END

AUTHOR NOTES: It's finally done! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I hope you all have a happy new year.


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